Roller-type applicators



Feb. 18, 1958 1 H. PHILLIPS 2,823,402

ROLLER-TYPE APPLIVCATORS Filed oct. 4, 1954 gf llllllflllill/ United States Patent "O ROLLER-TYPE APPLICATORS Leonard H. Phillips, Belmont, Mass.

Application Getober 4, 1954, Serial No. 460,002

6 Claims. (Cl. 1S132.5)

This invention relates to improvements in roller type paint applicators, and the like. More particularly, the invention provides a roller-type applicator for applying paint, or any other liquid substance, simultaneously to a plurality of angularly related surfaces, such as simultaneously to a side and one or both edges of a fence picket, for example.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a roller-type applicator for quickly and effectively applying paint, or any other liquid substance, to angularly related surfaces of an object by a simple rolling of the body portion of the applicator along and in engagement with one of said angularly related surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rollertype applicator having absorbent resilient applicating means removably mounted on a roller body and presenting angularly related resilient surface portions for simultaneously applying paint or any other liquid substance to angularly related surfaces of an object along which the applicator is adapted to be rolled.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a roller and applicating means adapted to be removably mounted thereon with angularly related surface positions of the applicating means adapted to apply paint, or any other liquid substance, simultaneously to correspondingly related surface portions of an object along which the applicator may be rolled.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve roller-type applicators and more particularly to provide such an applicator for rolling paint, or any other liquid substance, simultaneously on a face and. one or both edges of a fence picket, or other object or body having adjacent angularly related surfaces, thereby to accomplish effective painting of a picket fence, or a said other object or body, in a fraction of the time customarily required to do the job in the conventional manner with a brush.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a roller-type applicator embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, certain portions thereof being in elevation, and the illustrated handle part being swung through 90 from its position in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows the applicating elements separated from the roller and from each other, they being in medial cross-section, and on a larger scale than shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is 'a view generally similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention, on a smaller scale;

Fig. 5 is a medial cross-sectional view of another modified form of applicator element on the scale of Fig. 4, this element being mountable on the roller of Figs. 1 or 2, or on the relatively shorter roller of Fig. 4;

- Fig. 6 is a medial cross-section view of still another modied form of applicator element which may be generally similar to the applicating element of Fig. 5 but having only one applicating ange; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of another modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, one embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. l and 2 in association with an available and conventional roller indicated generally at 10 which comprises a sheet metal generally cylindrical hollow body 12 whose open ends are slightly reduced in diameter at 14 and closed by the end caps 16, 18 which tit over the reduced end portions 14. The bent rod handle element indicated generally at 20 has a straight end portion 22 which extends through axial openings in the end caps 16, 18 and axially through the hollow body 12 for serving as a supporting axle on which the roller 10 is rotatable. The extreme end of this axle portion 22 has a threaded hole 24 therein for reception of the threaded shank of a screw 26 which secures the cap 16 to the axle portion 22. Abutment means 28 on the axle portion 22 exteriorly of the roller and closely adjacent to the cap 1S coacts with the screw 26 in maintaining the end caps on the roller body 12 when screw 26 is screwed tight into the end of axle portion 22. The end caps iit tightly around the reduced end portions of the body 12 so that the body Iand its end caps rotate as a unit on axle portion 22. The exterior surface of the roller body 12 may be longitudinally ribbed at 13 in a conventional manner. The outer end portion of the bent rod handle conventionally has a hand grip 30 thereon.

According to the invention, one or more applicating elements are removably mounted on a roller, such as the roller 10 of Figs. l and 2 wherein three separate applicating elements 32, 34, 36 are arranged on roller 10 for applying paint, or the like, simultaneously, to angularly related surfaces as the roller-mounted applicatingv elements are rolled along and in engagement with said surfaces.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the central applicating element 34 has absorbent resilient material 38, such as lambs wool, extending over the entire exterior surface of a cylindrical tube or sleeve 40 which latter may be of any suitable material. The applicating elements 3236 may be identical but reversed in positions on the roller 10, one at each end of central element 34. Each comprises a relatively short sleeve or hub 42 and an integralv annular flange 44 which may be of any suitable material. The anges 44 will have diameter for extending a substantial radial distance outward beyond the absorbent material 38 on element 34, and the inner surface of` each flange is completely covered with absorbent material 46, which may be lambs wool or any other suitable material. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 3, the applicating element 32 will be first mounted on roller 10, followed by the central element 34, and then the element 36 will be arranged on the roller, each of these elements 32, 34, 36 having relatively tight t on the roller so that they are maintained by friction against relative displacement and against rotation on the roller. The roller ribs 13 aid in attaining this frictional holding ofthe elements against slip on the roller. element 34 preferably extends slightly beyond eachvend of its supporting sleeve 40, as best seen in Fig. 3, so that the absorbent material 46 of anged'elements 32, 36 is pressed relatively tightly against the absorbent materialv 38 when the applicating roller is operatively assembled? on elements 32, 34 and 36 but I have found that lamb's The absorbent material 38 of centraly wool is highly satisfactory. However, it has been found desirable to employ lambs wool, or other absorbent material, on the central element 34 which is softer and more yieldable than the lambs wool, or other absorbent material, on the flanges of elements 32 and 36.

Inasmuch as the invention provides for simultaneous application of liquid, which may be paint, to each of at least two angularly related surfaces, when the applicator is rolled along said surfaces, the length of the central applicating element 34 must be at least equal to the width of one of the surfaces which is being treated, so that the absorbent material 38 can engage the full width thereof while the absorbent material 46 of at least one of the flanged elements 32 or 36 simultaneously engages the full width of another of the surfaces. When the two flanged elements 32, 36 are in place on roller 10, as in Figs. l and 2, three angularly related surfaces may be simultaneously engaged as the central portion of the applicator is rolled along the middle one of the surfaces. Obviously, either one of the flanged elements 32, 36 may be omitted in Figs. l and 2, if desired. Hence, assuming that liquid, such as paint, is to be applied to a fence picket, one edge of the picket will be painted or otherwise treated simultaneously with one side of the picket, and the other edge will be painted or otherwise treated simultaneously with the other side of the picket.

Fig. 4 shows a roller 10 which may be similar to the roller of Figs. l and 2 but of shorter length sufficient only to mount the two identical applicating elements indicated generally at 48, 50. Element 48 comprises a sleeve 52 of any suitable material having an integral annular flange 54 thereon, and the exterior surface of sleeve 52 is covered by absorbent material 58. Element 50 may be identical with element 48, having a sleeve 60 with integral flange 62, and having absorbent material 64 on the sleeve 60 and absorbent material 66 on flange 62. The bent rod may be generally similar to the bent rod handle element 20 of Figs. l and 2.

If desired, the absorbent applicating material may be mounted on a unitary sleeve element 68 having integral flanges 70 at its opposite ends, as in Fig. 5, or the applicator may have only one flange 70 on a sleeve support 68', as in Fig. 6. In the latter case, assuming that a picket fence is to be painted, the applicator will apply paint to one face and one edge of each picket, or the like, when rolled along the said one face. In a similar manner, the other face and the other edge of each picket may have paint applied simultaneously thereto when the applicator is rolled along said other face.

While the invention is herein disclosed in connection with a conventional type of roller whose carried absorbent material is intended to be immersed or rolled in an available supply of paint, or the like, prior to rolling the applicator along any particular object which is to be treated, a so-called fountain-type of applicator roller is available which is adapted to contain a supply of paint, or other liquid, which automatically feeds to the absorbent material on the roller. The applicating elements of the present invention may be employed with such a fountain-type roller by perforating the sleeve elements and flange or flanges, and making the flange or ankes hollow, as suggested in Fig. 7, with suitable openings for flow of liquid from the interior of the roller into the absorbent applicating material. In Fig. 7, the hollow of one flange is indicated at 72 in communication with perforations 74 at the surface of the supporting roll 10", and perforations 76 in sleeve elements 68" are in communication with other perforations 74 at the surface of roller 10".

Various changes in details of construction obviously may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims, and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

l. A roller-type paint applicator for fence elements, comprising a generally cylindrical roller body, handle means on a portion of which said roller body is rotatably mounted, a paint-applicating sleeve removably mounted on said roller body for rotation therewith, means providing an annular flange at an end portion of said sleeve, and absorbent resilient material covering the exposed exterior surface of said sleeve and covering the inner adjacent surface of said flange, whereby said absorbent material may be immersed in paint and the roller manually rolled along a fence element with said absorbent material on said sleeve applying paint to one side of the fence element and with the absorbent material on said flange simultaneously applying paint to an edge of the fence element.

2. A roller-type paint applicator for fence elements as defined in claim 1, wherein there is means providing a said annular ange at both ends of said sleeve, and there is absorbent resilient material covering the inner surface of each said flange adjacent to said covered sleeve surface, whereby the absorbent material on said flanges apply paint to opposite edges of the fence element simultaneously with the said applying of paint by the absorbent material on said sleeve to one side of the fence element.

3. A roller-type paint applicator for fence pickets and the like, comprising a generally cylindrical roller body, handle means on a portion of which said roller body is rotatably mounted, and paint-applicating means removably mounted on said roller body for rotation therewith, said applicating means comprising a sleeve portion snuggly fitting on said roller body and having its exterior surface covered with absorbent resilient material, and an annular flange portion at an end of said sleeve portion and extending outward appreciably beyond the absorbent material which is on said sleeve, said sleeve and flange portions being adapted to rotate in unison, the inner surface of said ange portion being covered with absorbent resilient material which extends into contact with said absorbent material on said sleeve portion, whereby said absorbent material may be immsersed in paint and the roller manually rolled along a fence picket with said absorbent material on said sleeve aplying paint to one side of the picket and with the absorbent material on said flange portion simultaneously applying paint to an edge of the picket.

4. A roller-type paint applicator for fence elements, comprising a generally cylindrical roller body, handle means on a portion of which said roller body is rotatably mounted, a paint-applicating sleeve removably mounted on said roller body for rotation therewith, said sleeve having an annular flange rigid thereon at only one end thereof, and absorbent resilient material covering the exposed exterior surface of said sleeve and covering the inner adjacent surface of said flange, whereby said absorbent material may be immersed in paint and the roller manually rolled along a fence element with said absorbent material on said sleeve applying paint to one side of the fence element and with the absorbent material on said flange simultaneously applying paint to an edge of the fence element.

5. A roller-type paint applicator for fence elements, comprising a generally cylindrical roller body, handle means on a portion of which said roller body is rotatably mounted, and paint-applicating means removably mounted on said roller body for rotation therewith, said applicating means comprising a pair of sleeves engaged over adjacent portions of said roller body, each sleeve having an annular flange thereon at that end only which is remote fromthe other sleeve, absorbent resilient material covering the exposed exterior surface of each said sleeve and covering the adjacent inner surface of each of said flanges, whereby the said pair of covered flanged sleeves together on said roller body are adapted to apply paint simultaneously to three angularly related surfaces of a fence element when the applicator is manually rolled along one of said surfaces.

6. A roller-type paint applicator as defined in claim 4 wherein said roller body is hollow for holding a supply of paint, and said iiauge is hollow, there being openings through the covered wall of said hollow roller body and through the covered Wall of said hollow iiange whereby paint from within the hollow body delivers to said covering material as the applicator is rolled along a fence element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Whittlesey Nov. 4, 1890 Eisner et al. May 4, 1920 Walser Aug. 26, 1924 Harpootlian May 25, 1943 Thomas et al Aug. 29, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 24, 1889 Great Britain July 16, 1910 

